On the Waterfront
by hbomba
Summary: Lauren contemplates her station in the world of the fae and Bo tries to understand it as things begin to change between them.


Title: On the Waterfront

Fandom: Lost Girl

Pairing: Bo/Lauren

Raiting: T

Summary: Lauren contemplates her station in the world of the fae and Bo tries to understand it as things begin to change between them.

Spoilers: None, really. Set in the realm of episodes 1x03 and 1x04.

In the bright lights of the lab, time was irrelevant. Three a.m. was deceptively like eight a.m. with the exception that the lab techs and other fae were not drifting in and out of her peripheral vision as she gazed at slides through her microscope. The lab was Lauren's safe place, where she could problem solve and forget the emptiness that ached in her chest.

If Lauren had a fae power it would be insomnia. A useless fae power, some might argue, but to Lauren the nights were as long as the days and with all that extra time she might be the one to find the cures for any number of modern diseases. The fact that she hadn't said more about her attention span than it did her prowess as a physician. After all, Lauren's attention had been divided ever since she met Bo.

Why she felt compelled to help Bo at every turn, she wasn't sure. From their first meeting Lauren was captivated. Her beauty certainly helped, but Lauren was not so shallow to rent herself out for a beautiful woman especially when it could get her killed. And yet, she kept putting herself out there for the unaligned fae. Perhaps there was something attractive about a fae who chose humans over the Light or Dark. Perhaps it was reassuring not to be treated like a sack of meat just once.

No, the way Bo looked at her was what really enticed Lauren to continue helping her. She couldn't explain it but when Bo looked at her, she was drawn out of her shell and held rapt before her. And the more time they spent together the more Lauren was able to become herself again. Something she didn't even know had happened since signing over her life to the Light.

Exile amongst the fae lab staff had felt comfortable initially but as time went by the isolation took hold. It was the work that kept her interested in this new life she chose for herself. She filled her quarters with art and trinkets, decorating the space, trying to make a semblance of normality, of hominess, of a place she willingly chose to spend the rest of her life.

She never let herself ask why because she knew the question led only to a dead end. She made a selfless choice, signed her life over to the Ash and it was a decision she had to live with. That's why the addition of Bo to her work week was such a welcome change. Her impromptu visits were always terribly timed but every time Lauren found herself dropping what she was doing just to be around Bo a little longer. She knew the risks but disregarded them because Bo had made her feel something again. And that was just as precious as her very life.

Along the road to the moment she currently found herself in, Lauren had come to care for Bo. The treatments she had designed for Bo were working better than she hoped initially. Her biology was fascinating. Her potential was awe-inspiring even if she didn't believe it herself, Lauren was there to tell her this as she administered a course of the drug she had concocted. At the sound of Bo's voice, she snapped to attention.

"It's a nice day out, you should really get out of the lab."

Lauren smiled. It was a nice thought but she wasn't supposed to go for nature walks when she was on shift but today that's exactly what Lauren did. She left the Ash's compound with Bo and they drove down to the waterfront together. The air was damp, her internal barometer told Lauren it was going to rain, but for now the sky did not appear ominous.

They walked in silence, Lauren fixating on the grind of the sand against the rocks beneath their feet. She inhaled the fresh air and closed her eyes. Bo's hand squeezed her shoulder and she opened her eyes to find her smiling.

"You don't get out much, do you?" Her voice was kind but not without amusement.

"No," she shook her head, the sadness only shone through her eyes.

"Why's that? Too busy doing science-y stuff?"

"You could say that." Lauren was guarded, not yet willing to share her secret. The secret that shaped her present life.

Bo stopped walking and wrapped her fingers around Lauren's wrist. "You should take more time for yourself," she said firmly.

"I can't. I mean," she sighed, "I have a lot of obligations to fulfill, Bo."

"It's just a job."

"Bo, look, I can't explain it, but my work is my life."

Bo scoffed. "That's a little melodramatic, don't you think?"

Lauren looked out at the lake, water growing choppy as they stood on the shore. A cool breeze washed over her as the guilt took up a stronghold in her chest. "I should be getting back."

She watched as a parade of emotions crossed Bo's face. "Lauren." She laid her hand on Lauren's, the heat of Bo's grasp traveling up her arm and straight to the pit of her stomach. Lauren was well-acquainted with Bo's thrall but she had never used it on her outside a trial in the lab.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to get you to relax." Her voice was low, hungry.

The warmth had spread throughout her body and she was definitely relaxed. It crossed Lauren's mind that she might not be as safe as originally thought so she pulled away abruptly. She gazed into Bo's eyes, trying to read the story they told. And thrall or not, she was still putty in Bo's hands. There they stood on the shoreline, at the precipice of something bigger than Lauren could tease apart. Bo reached out and brushed the hair away from her temple, her hand lingering there longer than necessary. The thrall was fading but Lauren still felt her own need coursing through her.

This was unexplored territory for them. Lauren's attraction to Bo had only grown since they met and if she had been reading Bo's signals correctly, it was the same for her. She took one step forward, her lips growing dangerously closer to Bo's.

"Lauren," Bo warned.

"Bo," she whispered, smiling at her. Lauren chased a wisp of Bo's hair away from her face with the back of her hand and leaned into her. As their lips were about to meet the shrill warning bells of her cell sounded. Bo exhaled, Lauren's head fell back and she closed her eyes. "Shit."

She stepped away from Bo to answer the offending phone call. As she listened to her assistant tell her the Ash had stopped by the lab she couldn't help watching Bo, now flustered, itching with desire. "I'll be there soon," she ended the phone call. She glanced at Bo, who was looking out over the water quietly contemplating. "I'm sorry, but I really have to go this time."

"What just happened here?" Bo asked.

Lauren smiled. "I got a call from the lab. The Ash needs to see me."

"Before that." Bo gazed into her eyes, stubborn-there it was again, that intensity she held for Lauren.

Lauren tugged on her hand. "Let's walk and talk." But Bo didn't budge. "C'mon," she pulled on Bo's arm and they started to walk towards the docks.

"We're gonna have to talk about this some time…" Bo muttered.

But Lauren only smiled. She would have to make sense of the situation with Bo soon enough, but it wouldn't be today. There were already so many thoughts in her head, a constant swirling of responsibilities and confusing desires. She needed time to sort them out in her head before she laid them out on the table. Lauren studied Bo's profile as she drove her back to the compound. When the time came, she would tell Bo everything. But for now, she would enjoy the fresh air filling the car, the view of the lake front as they sped away, and most of all the company.


End file.
